


Supportive Parenting

by PervertCinnamonRoll



Category: South Park
Genre: Coming Out, Embarrassment, I'm going to my room, M/M, POV Multiple, POV Randy, POV Sheila, POV Stan, embarrassing parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-05 12:46:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5375699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PervertCinnamonRoll/pseuds/PervertCinnamonRoll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night Stan Marsh comes out of the closet to his parents, there is one question that must be asked. Why aren't him and Kyle together?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Randy Marsh

**Author's Note:**

> Note: Chapter 1 is from Randy's POV, Ch.2 is from Sheila's, and Ch3 (when I finish writing it) will be Stan's. Hope you enjoy it!

“Mom, Dad… I have to tell you something.”

Was this it? Was Stan _finally_ going to come out and be gay? Randy tried not to get his hopes up – this had happened before, so many times; Stan would get all pale and serious and want to talk to them, Randy would think he’d finally get to have a gay son, and instead he’d talk about something stupid like animal rights or drinking problems.

“I’m…” Stan said, before stalling dramatically. _Come on!_ He’d written to the Japanese embassy years ago asking them to make Stan gay – that must count for _something_. They _had_ to make Stan gay – he would be the best, most supportive parent _ever_ to a gay son!

Stan took a breath, and looked up at Sharon. “I’m… bisexual.”

“YES!” Randy yelled, grinning widely. “He’s gay, he’s finally– wait, bisexual?” He’d specifically said ‘gay’ when he wrote to the Japanese! Were they trying to screw him out of his gay son?

Stan looked at him with that look he had when Randy did or said something that made complete sense, but which he just couldn’t understand. “Yeah, dad. I like guys and girls.”

Randy tried to hide the disappointment on his face, but knew he was failing. He’d wanted a gay son so much! “Well… I guess that’s _kind of_ gay,” he said, looking down at his food.

“Randy!” Sharon gave him a glare – what had he done? – then turned to Stan. “Stan, we love you, and we are so proud of you. It’s just that _some people_ don’t seem to know how to show it.”

“I wanted him to be gay!” Randy yelled – of course he didn’t want to say it, but she’d forced it out of him. “Now I find out he’s only _half_ gay? How am I _supposed_ to react to that, Sharon?”

“Randy, our _bisexual_ son needs just as much support as any gay son.” She sounded pretty pissed off, in that way that would last for a while before blowing over – dammit! “Bisexuals can receive just as much homophobia as gays, _as well as_ facing biphobia from the gay community!”

“Mom?” Stan said. “I’m fine, really, I just—”

“Wait!” Randy said. Something was forming in his head. “Wait…” An idea… “Sharon, are you saying that bisexuals are the gays of the _gay world_!” Of course! Stan wasn’t half-gay – he was _double_ -gay! “That – is – so – COOL!” He turned to Stan with admiration in his eyes. “Stan… Stan, I love you _so_ much, I am so proud of you… I’m just so lucky to have a double-gay son!” He had tears in his eyes, but he could still see Stan covering his face with his hands, presumably to cover his own tears.

“Randy…” Sharon said with tired exasperation.

“What? Our son – our _brave_ son – needs our support, Sharon! Do you have any idea how much persecution bisexuals face, even from the gay community?” Sharon’s mouth was open, stunned by his passion for equality; Stan looking up at him, his face still red from all the crying. “Stan? Stan, if people give you and Kyle any trouble, I want you to tell us, okay? We want to help you two any way we can.”

Stan was speechless for a few seconds, just opening and closing his mouth like a fish. “Err… Kyle? I mean… me and Kyle?”

“Well, you two are together, aren’t you?” Randy had specifically asked the Japanese to make Stan’s friend Kyle gay as well – he’d wanted Stan to be happy as well as gay, and he knew how much he loved his best friend.

“What? No!” Stan sounded panicked, and his face was getting even redder. “Dad, I’m not dating Kyle!”

Randy was shocked – he’d always assumed that if Stan was gay, he’d be gay with Kyle, and why would bisexual Stan be any different? “Well, why not? We’ve been saying that you two were fruity with one another since you were kids! Haven’t we, Sharon?”

She froze, silently forming words with her mouth. Randy glared – couldn’t she see he needed her support? “…Well, _maybe_ you did say that, yes, but–”

“Dad!” Stan shouted, standing up. “Dad, I’m not with Kyle. He’s straight, we’re not together. I’m— I’m going to go to my room.” He practically ran away from them, pausing as he passed through the doorway. “I’m glad you’re proud of me,” he said, and the door shut behind him.

“Stan!” Randy shouted. He needed to get to the bottom of this! “STAN!”

Sharon was glaring at him. “Randy! I hope you’re proud of yourself for that _ridiculous_ performance!”

“No, Sharon, I’m proud of Stan.” He stood up, determined to get to work. “I won’t be proud of _myself_ until I figure this out. Why aren’t Stan and Kyle together?”


	2. Sheila Broflovsky

The phone rang just as the water was starting to boil. Sheila sighed as she turned off the gas, and again when she saw who was calling: _Stan_ _’s House_ . It had taken that boy _years_ to understand that this was their family dinner night, that Kyle couldn ’t just _come over_ – at first, she ’d let Stan have dinner with them, but then the two of them had just chatted with one another through dinner before going off on their own to _hang out_ . She still let him stay occasionally, but she wanted their Saturday dinners to be a time for the family to talk to each other without distraction, and while Stan was almost a part of the family, he was certainly a distraction. Still, he _had_ respected their family dinner night for a while now, and it was rare to hear him calling on the landline – this _was_ unusual, however tiresomely familiar it felt.

She picked up the phone. “Yes?”

“Sheila!” It was Randy, sounding agitated – her stomach sank at the sound of him. She usually managed not to get involved with his ridiculous antics, but he was still such a _trial_ to deal with. She didn’t know how Sharon coped with him. “Shiela, I have to talk to you about something!”

“Yes?” She maintained the most neutral voice she could – she’d found that absolute neutrality was the best strategy for dealing with the man.

He paused for a second – she could hear his breathing. “Stan just came out to us as bisexual.” He gave a dramatic pause to let that sink in.

“Oh, that’s _wonderful_ news!” Sheila had never thought she’d be happy to get a call from Randy, but now she felt absolutely overjoyed! She knew her Kyle was gay – a mother knows these things – but she’d always worried that Stanley would turn out to be straight – he was such an _athletic_ boy, and hadn’t he had a little girlfriend when he was younger? But if he was bisexual… well, soon he might really be a part of the family! It made her emotional just thinking about it. “Oh, you must be so proud!”

“Well, of course. You know, I hear they’re the gays of the gay world?” She could hear the pride in his voice – normally it would irritate her, but who could blame him for being proud now? “But that’s not important! Sheila – Stan is bisexual, but _he_ _’s not dating Kyle_!”

“What? But that doesn’t make any sense!” Kyle and the Marsh boy had always been such close friends, and although Kyle never said anything about it – he could be so _secretive_ sometimes – she was sure that he carried a torch for his handsome friend. If Stanley was bisexual, she couldn’t see any reason they wouldn’t be together! “Are you sure?”

“I asked him, and he said they aren’t together! Sheila, can you think of any possible reason _why_ they haven’t have gotten together yet?”

“I… don’t know.” As passionate as her Kyle was when he set his mind to something, he could be such a _quiet_ boy sometimes – she practically had to interrogate him to make him talk about what was happening in his life. She’d always thought he was more talkative with his friends – well, with Stanley at least – but maybe there were some things he didn’t even talk to them about? She’d have to investigate this. “I’m about to have dinner with Kyle – I might be able to uncover something.”

“Thanks, Sheila! We _have_ to get to the bottom of this!”

“Goodbye, Randy.” She felt queasy as she put the phone down – she knew it was never a good idea to get involved with Randy’s schemes. But this wasn’t about Randy – it was about her Kyle and his happiness; she couldn’t ignore this, even if Randy was involved. Still, she’d have to tread carefully – Kyle could be terribly prickly if you press him too hard, and she didn’t want to push him into a sulk. She couldn’t just demand answers from him; she needed to be _subtle_.

*       *       * 

“So, I hear Stanley Marsh is a bisexual.”

Kyle froze and looked up at her, eyes wide, mouth open, and his face a _touch_ paler than it normally was. Had he not known? She had thought the boys shared everything with one another, certainly before they shared it with their parents, but the shock in his face looked genuine. She waited for him to say something, but instead she just heard a snicker from Ike – she had _tried_ to talk to that boy about being more respectful; honestly, he was worse than _Kyle_ had been at that age! – and before she could respond to _that_ , Gerald spoke up.

“Oh, that’s great news!”

She quickly gave Ike a disapproving look, before smiling and responding to her husband. “It is, isn’t it? Sharon and Randy are so proud!”

Kyle didn’t respond to that either – he just looked down at his plate, twirling spaghetti round his fork, while a blush crept across his features. He looked just like he had as a little boy, whenever he was feeling guilty about something and didn’t want to show it! She wanted to press further, let him know that he didn’t _need_ to feel guilty – she was just devising a strategy when Gerald gave her the perfect opportunity. “Good,” he said. “I’d hate to think that they’d react badly to something like this. I mean, I wouldn’t think that they would, but you know Randy – he can be… unpredictable.”

She gave him an approving look, and took the opening he’d given her. “Certainly _we_ _’d_ be proud, if one of our sons were to come out to us, wouldn’t we Gerald?”

Her husband froze for a moment – apparently realising what she was driving at – before rallying wonderfully. “Of course! I mean,” he said, looking at Kyle, “if one of our sons were gay, we would support them completely.” He smiled at Kyle, but the boy just kept staring at his plate, not even moving his fork any more.

Honestly! They were giving him the perfect opportunity to come out of the closet and he wasn’t even _trying_ to take it! She wanted to let him do this for himself, but this was getting ridiculous!

“Kyle?” she said. “Is there something you’d like to talk to us about?” He didn’t even look up! “Anything at all?”

Kyle looked up at her, his face somehow paling while still retaining a definite blush. Oh _dear_ . It ’s possible she may have pushed him a _touch_ too hard. He stood up. “I’m going to my room,” he said. Sheila resisted the temptation to insist that he should stay – she could see her bubbeh needed his space – but he seemed to hear the objection regardless, justifying himself with an “I’m not feeling well,” as he went.

She let out a sigh, hearing Kyle’s footsteps rushing up to his room. It was such a _shame_ he wouldn ’t just come out to them. They’d be so supportive! Still, the conversation had given her an idea of why Kyle and his friend weren’t together – if Stanley hadn’t even told him about his bisexuality, _clearly_ they just weren’t talking about these things. Boys could be so difficult sometimes!

Gerald patted her arm. “Kyle will be okay – he just needs a little time.”

“Mmhm.” _Perhaps._ Oh, he’d get over this, she knew – but would he really be _okay_? By tomorrow he’d have his guard up, and probably be as secretive as ever, even towards his best friend. Honestly, if it was up to those two, they might just avoid their feelings forever, her bubbeh growing old heartbroken and alone – or with some wastrel who wouldn’t _appreciate_ him – just because they didn’t want to embarrass themselves!

She made her decision. “Excuse me,” she said – she couldn’t believe what she was about to say, but _yes_ , this _was_ necessary, “I’m just going to give Randy a call.” She wouldn’t ask him for much, but she was still worried – he had a way of turning even the most sensible plan into something _ridiculous_.

They both gave her a confused look, before Ike finally spoke up, his brows creased.

“Wait. Wait! Wait. Is Kyle… _gay_?”


	3. Stan Marsh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning - there is a bit of a tone shift in this chapter. Randy and Sheila are still Randy and Sheila, but Stan and Kyle are Stan and Kyle, and they're teenagers, so while there is still comedy, there's also angst, as well as romance and general feels. Also it's three times as long as the previous chapters combined. Hope you enjoy it!

Stan alternated between sulking on his bed and pacing around his room for what felt like an hour.

He knew this would happen! Okay, not this exactly, but he knew… Okay, he hadn’t _known_ anything. He’d _expected_ them to be ‘supportive’, at least in theory, but he’d still almost thrown up out of worry that they wouldn’t be. But his real worry was this – they’d support him, for whatever that was worth, but Dad would find some new and unexpected way to make his coming out weird and uncomfortable. Sure, they weren’t going to throw him out or anything, and he _was_ glad for that – he knew tons of parents, like Butters’, would be much worse – but this? _Kyle?_ He’d expected his Dad’s ridiculousness, but he’d not expected him to bring Kyle into this.

He loved Kyle; he’d accepted it. He loved Kyle more than he’d ever loved anyone, more than he could ever imagine loving anyone who wasn’t Kyle. He just didn’t make sense without him; when he wasn’t friends with Kyle, when they were fighting or one of them was away for a long time, he didn’t feel like he was really himself – his body just went through the motions of being Stan Marsh, but without the part that made him _him_.

He loved Kyle, and Kyle didn’t love him back; he’d… accepted it, no matter how much it hurt. Kyle just wasn’t gay – even if he were, that wouldn’t mean he’d love Stan back. They were best friends, but just friends, and that friendship meant more to him than anything. He wasn’t going to ruin that. At least, he didn’t want to – hadn’t meant to.

This was what you were supposed to do, wasn’t it? You were supposed to come out, if you could. It was supposed to help. He’d known he’d liked guys since he was thirteen, and accepted he was bi for a couple of years now – it had started feeling weird that no-one knew, and those times when he had to actively hide it, not say or do something because it might make people ask if he was gay, were starting to really bother him. And he’d figured that him coming out might help with the whole Butters situation, when that finally blows up – he could pave the way, get people to be, like, _allies_ or something. Maybe that was stupid, maybe it would just make things worse. He hadn’t thought this through – he’d fucked up so fucking bad.

People knew. They didn’t joke about it that much any more, but – everyone knew. Even his Dad knew it, could see how he was around Kyle – if he’d assumed they were together, what would everyone else think? His feelings were apparently so fucking obvious – the only thing protecting his and Kyle’s friendship was their supposed heterosexuality, and now… people would find out. That he was bi, and then how he felt about Kyle. He’d ruined it.

Stan was pacing when the knock came. “Stan?” his Dad called through the door. “Stan, are you there?” _Obviously_ , Stan thought, but he kept quiet – if he didn’t say anything, maybe Dad would go away. “Sheila just called.”

That was strange – she didn’t usually call the house unless Kyle was in trouble. “Is Kyle okay?” he blurted out, then hated himself for it – stuff like this was why his feelings for Kyle were so obvious.

“She said he wasn’t feeling well – she was wondering if you wanted to go over there to cheer him up?”

Stan grabbed his phone and had the door open in a moment. _Not feeling well_ – that could mean anything. It was probably nothing, but Kyle sometimes had serious health problems – he’d been hospitalized more times than anyone Stan knew. He hadn’t seemed sick this afternoon, so he couldn’t be too bad, could he? But it was strange that Kyle’s Mom had called for him – she wouldn’t do that for something that wasn’t serious, would she? It was strange…

He paused in the doorway – Dad looked shifty, like when he was hiding one of his idiotic schemes. Wait – he _wasn'_ _t._ There’s no way he would… oh god, he would, wouldn’t he? It wouldn’t even be in the top 50 dumbest things he’d ever done.

Stan sighed. “This isn’t some kind of plan to get me and Kyle together, is it?” He almost winced at the sound of his own voice – it sounded like he’d been crying, even though he hadn’t, not really. But his voice was always the first thing to go, and talking about his feelings for Kyle would hurt even if he hadn’t been brooding over it for half an hour.

“What? No!” Randy said, adopting his typical expression of indignation. “How can you even _suggest_ that I would do something like that? I know how to respect my children’s boundaries, Stan!”

Stan pinched his bridge and sighed. He couldn’t believe it – was Dad _seriously_ trying to set him up with Kyle? He was pretty sure he’d had nightmares that started like this. He wanted to back into his room and slam the door, and almost did – but what if he was wrong, what if Kyle was actually sick? He’d feel like shit if he wasn’t there for him. He didn’t know what to do – if he went to Kyle’s, he’d be playing into Dad’s plans; on the other hand, if he didn’t, he’d have to stay in the same house as Dad, who’d probably just get more and more insistent and annoying until he got his way. He might even go to Kyle to try and fix them up – no, _no_ , going to Kyle’s was safer. Anyway, he’d get to hang out with Kyle – they might not get many more opportunities to be together before Kyle finds out about him and everything turns to shit.

He looked at his father. “Okay,” he said. “Fine.” He hated how that had sounded – he’d meant to be neutral and calm, like Craig, but ended up just sounding pissed off and sad, like Craig. Dad almost shrank back as he passed, making him feel even shittier – he knows that Dad doesn’t mean any harm, and he tries not to get too angry at him, it’s just really hard sometimes. Sometimes he just fucks everything up.

Outside, he tried to get his feelings under control – he couldn’t show up at Kyle’s like this. He closed his eyes and stood still for a few seconds – breathed, felt the cold air on his skin, focused on just those physical sensations. He’d learned how to do this – calm himself down so that he could at least seem like he was okay. When he got like this, it was just what he needed to do. By the time he reached the door to Kyle’s house, he was sure he could pass.

It opened a barely a second after he rang the bell. “Hi, Mrs. Broflovski,” he said – his voice was a little odd, but it didn’t sound too much like he’d been crying, at least. She just stood there, giving him this weird look for a couple of seconds, before sweeping him into a tight hug.

“Oh, _Stanley_ ,” she said, sounding like she was crying. Jesus Christ! What was this? She was acting like – like there was something wrong. Had something really happened to Kyle?

“Is Kyle okay?” he asked, sounding frantic but not caring. Kyle’s mom finally let go of him, and looked up at him with a slightly sinister smile, like she was remembering a private joke about him.

“Oh, he’s _fine_ – he’s just a little under the weather,” she said, waving dismissively. Relief mixed with confusion – if he was okay, why the hug? “I just—” she paused, seeming to think about her next words carefully. “I think there’s something he doesn’t want to talk about,” she said carefully. “Not with us, anyway – I thought that perhaps his _best friend_ might be able to help him,” she said with a smile.

What could you say to that? This whole situation felt really wrong, but he wanted to hang out with Kyle anyway, didn’t he? And obviously if his friend was unhappy, he’d try to help. “Uh, okay?” he said. “I’ll… help if I can?”

“Oh, _good_. He’s in his room,” she said, waving in the direction of the stairs. Then she _smiled_ at him and patted him on the shoulder, saying “I’m _so_ _glad_ he has you, you know.”

“Um, thanks?” he said, backing towards the stairs. “I’ll just, you know, go up to him, then.” He practically ran upstairs. Jesus Christ, what was wrong here?

It took him a few seconds to work up the courage to knock on Kyle’s door. He couldn’t say exactly why – it just felt like a big deal, maybe because of the weirdness, or because he was worried about Kyle, maybe because it might be the last time he sees him before he finds out. When he did knock, there wasn’t any response. “Kyle? Kyle, it’s me.” He heard a groan from inside. “I’m coming in, okay?” When there was no response to that he opened the door, worrying about what he might find.

Kyle was lying in his bed, face down. When he looked up at Stan, his face was red. What the hell had happened here?

“Dude?” Stan said.

Kyle just groaned again and buried his face in his pillow.

Stan had seen him like this before. Sometimes he just got so worked up about something he couldn’t do anything about, he went beyond anger and just stopped responding – Stan never knew how to help him when he was like this. He was bad at this – he didn’t know how to comfort someone, what you were supposed to say. Slowly, he moved to the bed and sat down, putting a hand on Kyle’s shoulder.

He didn’t want to pressure him, even if he really wanted to find out what was bothering him – he knew Kyle, that would just make things worse. So he just said “Hey,” and sat there with him. He let his hand move, rubbing Kyle’s back in what he hoped was a comforting way. It comforted _him_ , at least – hell, he probably wouldn’t be able to do this kind of thing when Kyle finds out he’s bi, even if doesn’t figure out how he feels about him until later. Fuck, he can’t think about that – he can feel another freak-out working up inside him, and so he breathes, and focuses on the feeling of moving his hand up and down Kyle’s back, comforting him. He waits until the anxiety recedes before he speaks again.

“Dude, what’s wrong?” he said softly. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me, but…” He let the sentence trail off there. It was a few seconds before Kyle responded, rolling over to look at him.

His voice was a little cracked, but it never got as bad as his own did. “You’re bisexual,” he said, a hint of a question mark at the end. It took Stan a few seconds to understand what he’d just said.

When it hit him, he leapt up from the bed, staring at Kyle for a moment before he turned and started pacing. But it wasn’t anxiety that gripped him – that was maybe too big for him to process, like the Grand Canyon – it was anger. He was fucking furious – a cold fury, one that he hadn’t felt for anyone since he was thirteen and the fatass had landed Kyle in hospital.

“He told you?” He hated how angry his voice sounded – he didn’t want Kyle to think he was angry at him. He just… he didn’t think his dad could still disappoint him like this.

Kyle sat up, looking oddly vulnerable. He shook his head. “Mom…” He sighed. “She just… in the middle of dinner, she was like, ‘Hey, Stan’s bisexual! Isn’t it great? _You_ should—’” He paused, then fell back onto the bed and groaned, a hand covering his face.

Seeing Kyle like this, Stan’s rage, which had seemed so strong a few seconds ago, was overwhelmed by something else – a cold, deep pain in his gut. He tried to keep his voice steady for one more question. He had to _know_. “That’s why… why you’re upset.” He wanted to do something to make it sound less nakedly pathetic, but he couldn’t hide the pain in his voice, and his body didn’t feel like it was his to control. “Because I’m bisexual.”

Kyle froze, then jumped up to sit on the side of the bed. “What? No! I— I wouldn’t—” He launched himself up as if to hug Stan, but then pulled back before he reached him – it was such a Kyle gesture, it melted the ice in Stan’s gut into a warm puddle. The redhead was even worse at comforting people than Stan was – when he tried to comfort Stan, these ridiculous almost-hugs were generally the result. Kyle took a deep breath before speaking, clearly trying to find what to say. “You… you’re _Stan_. I would never…” He trailed off, obviously frustrated by his own ineloquence.

Stan usually finished Kyle’s almost-hugs, but this time he felt like that wouldn’t be okay – he shouldn’t. He really shouldn’t. But… Kyle just looked so lost, not even meeting his eyes, just staring down at his chest; and they were still friends, Kyle didn’t hate him, and he just really wanted to hug him, and—

Kyle whimpered slightly as he pulled him into a tight hug, then, as he hugged Stan back and rested his head on his shoulder, he made a slight moaning noise in the back of his throat. He probably didn’t even know he was making those sounds, but Stan _felt_ them, felt himself get hard – it was so wrong, Kyle was clearly upset, and maybe Stan should let him go, but holding him just felt so _right_. He actually felt kind of dizzy with Kyle so tight against his chest, like he was the only thing holding him up – every time he thought about letting go, the redhead would shift slightly or make a noise or he’d feel his hair against his cheek and his strength would leave him again. Normally, Kyle was the one who broke their hugs, but this time he held onto Stan tightly, like he didn’t mean to ever let go. The thought sent a wave of happiness through him, from his gut up to his head – which was wrong. Kyle was like this because he was upset, not for Stan’s enjoyment – he should let go. He didn’t – couldn’t – but he tried to focus on helping Kyle, not his own enjoyment.

“So, uh… what’s wrong?” Stan said, rubbing Kyle’s back. Was that okay? Was this what Kyle needed? “I mean, if that’s— if you want to tell me?”

Kyle pulled back and looked at him, his green eyes shining – did that mean he was about to cry? Kyle hated crying in front of anyone, even him. “My mom, she…” He looked down, his forehead almost resting on Stan’s shoulder, and took a breath. “She thinks I’m gay.”

It took a few seconds for Stan to process what Kyle had just said, and before he really had, he asked the question. “Are you?” He regretted it immediately – he was supposed to be comforting Kyle, not pushing him further into himself – but he just felt so strange. Lightheaded from holding the boy he loved, and hearing that he might actually be gay gave him a weird but mostly-pleasant tugging at his guts – he honestly didn’t know what he was doing right now.

Kyle stilled, eyes closed, breathing deeply, his arms falling to Stan’s sides. “I’m not sure,” he said quietly.

Stan blinked. “Oh.” That could mean a lot of things – he could be just starting to question himself, he could think he was gay but be questioning if he was bi, he could be pretty sure he was bi but think it might just be a phase, or it could be something else, something Stan had never been through. “So…” What could he do to help? He hadn’t talked to anyone about this when he’d been questioning himself – he didn’t know what kind of thing would help.

“So…” Kyle’s arms dropped from him, and he looked up at Stan – he was blushing, but he looked kind of scared. “I might be attracted to girls,” he mumbled. “You know… As well.”

“Right.” The bizarre cocktail of feelings inside Stan received another shake – now his his outside felt so light it could float away if it wasn’t for his insides weighing it down. A part of him wanted to smile at the knowledge that Kyle was definitely into guys, but only part of his face complied – god, he must look like a freak. But that didn’t matter – he needed to help Kyle.

Stan let go of him – Kyle sat back onto his bed and leaned back onto his elbows. He was beautiful, looking up at him, his t-shirt lining his body, but not being in contact with him – though it hurt – let Stan think a bit more clearly. “Uh… Well, I mean, I thought I was gay. For a while. And, you know… I’m actually bi.” Kyle just looked up at him. _You_ _’re just telling him about you, you’re not helping him._ “But, just, obviously you could be different. And, you know… it’s a spectrum. You could be, like, _mostly_ gay and still be a bit into girls, and, uhh… that’s okay too.” That sounded like he was telling him he _was_ mostly gay, like he was labeling him. “Labels— uh, they don’t have to mean all that much? I mean, you’re _you_ , whatever you are, I guess?”

He couldn’t think of anything else to say, so he just stood there, watching Kyle – who, looking right back into his eyes, gradually smiled at him, then gave a snort of laughter. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess. I mean,” he waved his hand vaguely. “It’s not even about that. I’m not _that_ confused. I just – I wasn’t ready! Mom was trying to drag it out of me, talking about how proud she’d be, and, like, that’s great Mom, but I need to think about this stuff. I’m not going to just leap out of the closet ’cause you tell me to. I can come out when I’m ready, right? Except, of course, now I can’t.”

Stan sat down beside him, his heart nearly bursting with happiness just from seeing the redhead acting like himself again. God, he could listen to Kyle ranting for days. “Yeah, but— I mean, I though _I_ was ready. But actually coming out… well, I think it’s always going to kind of suck.”

Kyle eyed him, his mouth forming into a slight smirk. “Wait – how did your Dad react? That must have been… interesting?”

“Oh, god.” He could tell him about it, couldn’t he? That Dad had thought they were together. A part of him wanted to – it would bring up the idea of it without him having to actually confess. But he didn’t actually _have_ to mention that part, did he? “Dad, uh, apparently _really_ wanted me to be gay – I mean, he was disappointed that I was only bisexual and not fully gay.”

Kyle laughed – he didn’t have a pretty laugh, but Stan loved hearing it. “Yeah, I can see that,” he said, sitting up and turning to Stan. “I think that’s, like, a South Park thing – everyone wants a gay kid.” _Except the Stotches._ “Mom and Dad seemed really eager for me to be gay. I guess we’re lucky? I mean, at least it’s better than the alternative.”

“Yeah. Yeah – anyway, Dad was okay when he decided that we’re ‘the gays of the gay world’ or something,” Stan said, provoking another bout of laughter. He didn’t have to mention the rest. He didn’t. But this was his last chance to bring it up without confessing – maybe it was a stupid chance, but sometimes he couldn’t resist an idiotic act of self-destruction. “Then he, uh…” Oh, god. Why was he saying this? Kyle was smiling at him like nothing was wrong. But he’d started – he had to just say it, then he could play it off as no big deal. “He was sure that, uhh. That you and me were… like, _together_.”

His voice had broken on that last word. _Idiot._

Kyle’s smile froze, and gradually fell from his face. “Right.” His eyes were focused on the the wall. “I guess… people are going to think that. When they find out.”

“Yeah, maybe.” His guts were squirming, but a part of him felt relieved – he couldn’t control this conversation, he wasn’t responsible, it was rolling to its conclusion regardless of anything he could do. “I mean, with… With the way we are. With each other.”

Kyle had a strange, distant look on his face. “Yeah. People know that we… care about each other. A lot.”

“Yeah.” Stan would never deny _that_. “I mean… It makes sense. From their, you know. Perspective.”

Kyle turned to him, and there was nothing distant or distracted about him now – he was focused completely on Stan, an intense look in his eyes. “Right.” He was close, their shoulders almost touching; his slightly-flushed face was unnaturally still. “We’re— We like guys. And we like each other a lot, and… Well, _you'_ _re_ an attractive guy, at least,” he said, a hint of uncertainty entering his voice.

“Dude, you _know_ you’re gorgeous,” Stan said automatically, used to soothing Kyle’s insecurities. It took a second to realize what he’d just said, and another to realize what _Kyle_ had just said about him. _What?_

Dazed, he saw Kyle giving him a slightly-smug smile. _Is this happening?_ “So…” Kyle said with fragile confidence, leaning a little closer to Stan. “We like each other. And we’re— We each think the other is attractive,” he finished, slightly flustered, moving his hand to cover Stan’s – the movement was awkward, but it was _Kyle_ , and it meant…

It meant—

They were slowly shifting closer together. Part of Stan wanted to rush forward and kiss Kyle _right now_ … but this moment felt so fragile, like if he moved too quickly it would break and Kyle would remember to push Stan away. So he just allowed his body to pull him gradually closer to the redhead, as if he could just pretend that he wasn’t doing anything if Kyle stopped him. The silence dragged on – was the silence wrong? Should he say something? Kyle had just said… that. “It would…” His throat felt dry, and his voice was unnaturally deep. “It’d… make sense. For us to be. Together.”

Kyle grinned. His green eyes were shining, and they were pretty close. “Yeah.” He could see the flaws on Kyle’s skin, but they were Kyle, so they just made him want to kiss them. “Yeah, it would.” Stan’s hand moved to Kyle’s chin without him telling it to, thumb stroking his cheek. Kyle still wasn’t pushing him away, and he was so close – could this really happen? It was like they were going to kiss, but they had never kissed – Kyle didn’t _want_ — How could they kiss?

Kyle’s lips met his. Stan kept his eyes open, watching for Kyle’s revulsion. It didn’t come, even though they were kissing, but then, their lips weren’t moving – was it even a real kiss yet? Stan let his lips move against Kyle’s, opening slightly – a moment passed, then Kyle gave a moan and pushed forward and—

Their teeth hit each other with a _clack._

They pulled back from the shock and the pain. “Ow! Fuck!” Kyle looked away from Stan with a hand over his mouth.

“Nnngh!” Stan grunted – it did hurt, a cold, stinging pain in his gums. “Jesus, ow!”

“Fuck!” Kyle moaned. His eyes were watering – was he hurt badly? Stan wanted to move forwards to help him, but worried that would make it worse – Kyle might not want him close after getting hurt on him. “Fuck. Fuck! Fuck, I— I’ve ruined it!” Kyle’s hand dropped to his side.

It took a few seconds for Stan to understand what he meant, and when he did, the remnants of the pain were washed away by a flood of warmth inside him. “Dude.” He shifted forwards and put his hand over Kyle’s. “Dude, you couldn’t ruin it. That’s not possible – you were kissing me. Back.”

Kyle stilled, then looked at him and smiled. “Yeah. And… you were kissing me.” There was something like awe in his voice.

Stan wanted to grab him and kiss him again, but stopped himself – he didn’t know why. “Kyle,” he breathed – he wanted Kyle so much, needed him, and he couldn’t believe that he really felt the same way. “Kyle, you’re— I—” Stan wasn’t sure what he was even trying to say, he just wanted to make Kyle understand him. “I love you,” he said without meaning to, knowing that he shouldn’t. “Dude.” Maybe that was meant to soften what he’d said, but between him and Kyle, the word did the opposite – at least, Stan thought so.

“Dude,” Kyle breathed. He raised his hand to stroke Stan’s cheek, his eyes pinning Stan’s down, making sure he couldn’t look away. “I love you too.”

Stan felt his smile grow slowly, as he watched Kyle’s do the same, as he felt the block of anxiety that had lodged in him at dinner – hell, long before that – dissolve in a feeling he’d only known before in flashes, over as soon as he recognized them for the hopeless longing he’d known they were. But now… _Kyle loves me. Kyle_ _… he—_

Stan broke into a grin, pulling Kyle into his arms, watching him laugh, seeing his smile. God, how could anyone not be in love with Kyle? “Hey,” he said – he felt delirious, but sounded confident, as confident as people thought he was. “You wanna try again?”

Kyle actually _giggled_ , down in the back of his throat – his smile was broader than any Stan had ever seen on him. “Yeah,” he said, moving close, their noses almost touching. “I really do.”

Stan moved forwards, and this time when he kissed Kyle’s lips, they was soft, and open. They moved against Stan’s awkwardly – neither of them knew what they were doing, but Stan was too amazed that Kyle was actually kissing him to focus on his technique or care about Kyle’s. He moved his hands, caressing the redhead’s body, feeling its firmness, its heat.

Fuck, he needed Kyle, wanted him closer. He gently pushed forward, trying to get closer, and Kyle leaned back – side by side, there was only so close they could get. Fuck!

He broke away, making Kyle moan in loss. Stan pushed him gently towards the pillow. “On your back.”

“You’re not the boss of me,” Kyle said, grinning as he let himself be maneuvered onto his back.

Stan climbed on top of him, their bodies pressed against one another, warm and connected and awkward and perfect. He looked into Kyle’s wide open eyes, stroked his cheek. “You _are_ the boss of me,” he said, honestly.

Kyle breathed out. “Then kiss me, asshole.” Stan grinned, and obeyed. Friendly insults from Kyle used to hurt a little – it was stupid, but he’d always worried that Kyle meant them – but the context and the contact changed things. Maybe permanently.

Their third kiss was even better than the second. It wasn’t just the heat of their bodies pressed together – him and Kyle were getting better at kissing each other, their mouths moving more naturally against each other, their hands caressing each others’ bodies without conscious control. When their tongues met, it came as a surprise, even as he’d been pushing his into Kyle’s mouth – it felt strange, but not bad, and when they slipped against each other Stan moaned with pleasure.

Stan broke the kiss, overwhelmed, but found he couldn’t stop kissing Kyle now that he was allowed to. He kissed him quickly on the mouth, then his jaw, moving down to suck on his neck. Kyle’s moans, his body, his scent, his taste, just _Kyle_ , here, wanting Stan… this was a perfect moment. The troubles of the evening seemed so far away now, so small – how could he think this night was anything other than perfect?

The sound of his Mom yelling “Randy!” distracted him, but he was used to tuning their arguments out. Kyle froze, though, his neck tensing under Stan’s lips – he should be used to it too by now, he’d spent enough time in Stan’s room. Though this was Kyle’s room, not his… Stan hadn’t quite worked out what was wrong when he was interrupted.

“Sharon! Hey, Sharon!” Dad’s voice sounded much too close, even if he had been in the same house – his voice was coming from the direction of the window. “Stan’s finally making out with Kyle! I _told_ you they’d get together.”

His head spinning, Stan leapt up and looked down at Kyle – he was staring at the window, a look of horror on his face. Stan followed his gaze – at first he could just see the outline of a tree in the darkness, but then he noticed the movement of a figure in the branches.

“Oh, shit! I think he’s seen me!”

No. No. This— no. No way.

Oh, _God_.

Moving to the open window, Stan saw his Mom glaring up at Dad from behind the picket fence – Dad was staring at him, perched in the branches of the tree in Kyle’s back yard. The tree that offered a pretty good view of Kyle’s room, at least the portion of it that included his bed. The bed that they’d just made out on.

“Oh, hey Stan!” Dad said with attempted nonchalance. “I’m just. You know. Hanging out. I, uhh… I felt like climbing a tree.” Stan blinked. “Boy, this – this really takes me back. To my boyhood, you know. Used to climb trees like this all the time.” Stan shut his mouth, which had been gaping open. “But anyway, how are you doing? Are you good?”

Stan stared. _This is_ _— I can_ _’t—_ He pinched his brow, eyes closing to block out the insanity of the situation. This couldn’t possibly be happening. It was a nightmare – or a sexy dream that had turned into a nightmare. He’d wake up in his bed, and this won’t have happened, and Kyle would be straight and wouldn’t love him back—

 _God, I hope this isn_ _’t a nightmare._ Stan opened his eyes and looked up – Dad was still there, still perched in the branches of the tree in Kyle’s backyard, his arms crossed casually. Stan honestly didn’t have a response to this. What could he possibly say? He stayed frozen there, while Kyle walked past him, reached out and slammed the window shut, violently pulled the curtains together, turned to Stan, and declared: “What the fuck?”

Stan shrugged – he really didn’t have an answer. Searching for one, he choked out “Dad… he, uh, seemed kind of invested in our— in us being together.”

Kyle frowned at him, then closed his eyes and groaned in frustration. “Why is he _here_?”

Stan played through the events of the night in his head. “He was the one who said I should come here,” he said quietly, a cold realization curling up in his gut.

Kyle stared at him. “ _What?_ ”

Stan winced slightly – Kyle generally didn’t get angry with _him_ , even when he was angry in his general direction, but it still hurt sometimes when Kyle snapped at him. “Dad said that you were sick, that I should come over…” Wait. That wasn’t how it went exactly, was it? “Your mom – she— Dad said she’d called to tell him…” Stan frowned. “And she was acting kind of weird when I got here.”

Kyle froze. “Wait.” He was staring at the wall, his eyes moving like they did when he was working something. “ _No_ ,” he muttered, then padded quietly to the door, not looking at Stan. Stan watched with confusion as Kyle paused with his hand over the handle, then, in one movement, threw the door open, revealing his Mom, knelt down with her ear to a glass, holding it up to where the door had been.

 _What the fuck?_ Kyle’s mom froze there on the floor for a good few seconds as Kyle stared at her, before rising to her full height and speaking: “Oh Bubbeh, Stanley, I was just coming up to check on the both of y—”

“ _Mom_!” Kyle yelled. “What the _f_ — What are you _doing_?”

“What, a mother can’t be concerned for her oldest child’s happiness?” she said, blushing slightly but maintaining her stern expression, until, instantly, it melted into a smile. “Oh, I’m so happy for you two!” Kyle stared at her, mouth open, as she turned to Stan. “Stanley, now that you and my Kyle are an item, would you like to stay here tonight?”

 _What?_ That didn’t make any sense, did it? Stan glanced at Kyle, who was still staring at his mother, his face frozen between anger and shock. “Uhhh…” Stan didn’t know what to say – how do you answer a question that he knew couldn’t have been asked? Still, he knew what he wanted. “Yeah? I guess? If that’s okay, I mean.”

“Of _course_!” she said, as if the idea of her not letting her son’s boyfriend stay overnight in his bedroom was absurd. “I know you’re a good boy, Stanley, and you’d _never_ push my Kyle into doing something he isn’t _completely_ comfortable with.” Her tone managed to convey both a deep and implicit trust and a threat of grievous bodily harm. “And I know you two probably have a _lot_ to talk about.”

“Uh, thanks?” Stan said. Kyle looked lost, like he was trying to maintain his rage but was finding it hard not to just be confused instead.

His mother turned to him. “And bubbeh? Don’t _ever_ feel pressured into going too fast. You should take your time and _enjoy_ yourself, not just rush to the finish line – if your hurry yourself, you’ll regret it later!”

Kyle stared at her, his face frozen as a blush creeped up his face. Eventually, he managed a “Okay, mom,” before closing the door in her face. He turned to Stan, shrugged helplessly and spoke quietly: “ _What_ the _f_ —”

“Kyle, bubbeh?” Kyle’s Mom’s voice sounded strangely tentative.

Kyle cringed, and glared at the door for a few seconds before answering: “Yeah?”

“Just…” She paused – what was she going to say now? Was she going to throw him out? Finally, she sighed and continued: “Just don’t have anal intercourse with Stanley until me and your father have had a chance to talk to you about how to do it safely, all right?”

Kyle gaped in horror, as Stan felt something bubbling up inside him. When Kyle gave an outraged yell of “ _Mom_!”, Stan barely managed to keep his laughter silent.

“ _Kyle_ , it can be very damaging if done incorrectly!” At that, Stan couldn’t suppress a snort – Kyle gave him a betrayed look that made him break into quiet laughter. “I just want you to be safe – you know how delicate you are!” Kyle pushed him, Stan pushed back; they ended up grappling with each other, Stan not able to put up much of a fight while almost suffocating with laughter. Kyle managed to wrestle him to the floor, as his Mom continued: “Remember when you were young, and you had hemorrhoids?”

Kyle pinned him down and sat on him, his face flushing, before shouting “Mom! _Please_ just … Look, we _definitely_ aren’t going to have sex tonight, okay?” He tried to glare down at Stan, but there was a hint of a smile in it. Or maybe it was a grimace.

“Okay, bubbeh – I’ll just leave a sleeping bag outside your door in case you want it. Goodnight, Stanley, bubbeh.”

They both managed a strangled “’Night!” before footsteps told them she was finally going away.

Kyle sighed. “Jesus fucking Christ, dude.” He stood up and raised a hand to hide his blush. “What the fuck?” Stan tried to get up, but couldn’t stop laughing, louder now Kyle’s Mom wasn’t listening. “Oh, like _you_ _’re_ one to talk, ” Kyle said, moving over to to his window and peeking through the curtains. “At least your Dad’s gone. Your Dad, who was _watching us make out_ five minutes ago.”

Stan, who’d managed to clamber up to sit on Kyle’s bed, laughed again. “Yeah, I know.” He took a couple of deep breaths. “Dude, that was pretty fucked up.” Kyle was pouting at him, and he couldn’t help but break into laughter again.

Kyle crossed his arms and looked down at him. “I meant it,” he said, his frown not quite hiding his smile. “No sex for you tonight.”

“Jesus, dude,” Stan said, his bout of giggles finally ending. “I don’t really want to have sex with you tonight.” Kyle looked genuinely hurt – Stan hoped the next sentence would come out right. “Just, like, _kissing_ you is… kind of overwhelming.”

Kyle’s pout turned into a smirk. He sat down next to Stan, their sides in full contact – god, he’d forgotten how good it felt to be pressed against him. He threw an arm around Kyle, started rubbing his side – Kyle let his head rest on his shoulder. “It is pretty good, isn’t it?” Kyle murmured. They sat cuddling there for a while – how long, Stan didn’t know, his sense of time was completely shot; it could have just been a few seconds – before Kyle sat up straight and declared: “Wait – why did she assume _I_ would be the bottom?”

It took Stan a little while to work out what Kyle had just said, and it still didn’t make any sense. “What?”

“She was worried for _my_ ass! Why did she assume _I_ would bottom to you?” Kyle looked genuinely outraged, until a smile emerged and he poked Stan’s chest. “I mean, if _either_ of us is a bottom, it’s you. Clearly.”

“Dude.” Stan couldn’t stop a blush from emerging. “I think we have to, like. Try it. Both ways. You know, see if either of us has, you know. A preference.” Kyle snorted at him, smiling. “You can, uh. Top me first. If you want?”

Kyle grinned. “But what if you enjoy bottoming to me so much that you never want to top?”

Stan raised his eyebrows. “Dude. Have you seen your ass?” He slid his hand down to feel it, and had to suppress a giggle – _he was allowed to feel Kyle_ _’s ass_! “Sorry, but I’m going to want to fuck this.” Stan’s blush was getting intense. “You know, at some point. When we’re ready.”

Kyle smiled. “Okay.” He partially leaned in to cuddle again, but then pulled back and raised a hand to cover his blush. “God, I can’t believe she mentioned my fucking hemorrhoid!”

“Dude.” Stan raised his hand from Kyle’s ass and rubbed his shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting way. “I was there, I… I already know all the embarrassing shit there is to know about you.” He kissed Kyle’s temple. “I’ll tease you, but _nothing_ will make me stop thinking you’re fucking amazing.”

Kyle actually blushed and _giggled_ – one more piece of amazing, embarrassing shit Stan knew about him – before cuddling up to him. “God, can you imagine trying to explain all this shit to someone who hasn’t lived here their whole lives? Like, if you were dating someone from out of town, trying to explain your childhood? Taking them to meet your parents?”

“No.” Stan couldn’t imagine dating anyone other than Kyle – the idea hurt.

Maybe Kyle heard the pain in his voice – he gave him a comforting squeeze, his green eyes gleaming. “So… you’re stuck with me.”

Stan thought about that. “Forever?”

Kyle smiled up at him, his hand rubbing Stan’s back – it felt good. “Yeah, I think so.” Stan felt himself drifting off into a happy haze, the boy he loved in his arms, his touch, his smile. He wanted to be stuck here with him, wanted it to last forever. It was hard to form words, but he managed two.

“You promise?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIN
> 
> Thanks for reading! All comments welcome - praise, crit, questions, non sequiters, whatever.


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